


Dead and gone

by shethenightwolf



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Grief/Mourning, Love, Sacrifice, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 07:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18177971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shethenightwolf/pseuds/shethenightwolf
Summary: You had no idea Arthur’s death would break you this much.





	Dead and gone

He was gone.

But when you and Charles came back to the place John saw Arthur for the last time, you still hoped he had made it. But as soon as you looked around and saw his dead body lying still on the ground, the hope was gone. Within second your heart shattered into million pieces, enormous pain filled your whole body and not even Charles with all his strength could hold you back from rushing towards his corpse and falling to your knees next to it. You touched his pale face, your thumb rubbed his cold lips. He breathed his last breath alone, without no one by his side. You weren’t there to hold his hand in the last moments of his life. Arthur never wanted you to see him dying, yet the last thing he needed to see last was your face. But there was no time for you to say your goodbyes. There was no way you could tell him how much you love him. And he couldn’t tell how much he loves you.

He was really gone.

Suddenly, he has disappeared from your life, leaving a great emptiness in your heart. The pain was enormous, you could barely breathe. There was nothing you could do. Nothing could bring him back to life.

“No, no, no!!!” You screamed, looking up just to see some clouds slowly drifting in the sky. The world didn’t end at that moment, but you felt like it did.

Charles approached you from behind and crouched next to you, lying his hands on your shoulders. You turned your head, looking at him with regret.

„We have to bury him, Y/N…” He said quietly. “It will be dark soon.”

„No…” You cried out in pain, tears streaming down your face. You didn’t want to let him go. Maybe it was because you didn’t really want to believe he was gone. Deep inside you were hoping he would wake up in a moment and look at you with these beautiful, blue eyes he used to look at you when you were together. “I can’t do that, Charles.”

But a part of you knew it was right to do and eventually, you were willing to listen to Charles, but before that, you had to do one more thing. You had to say your goodbye so you leaned down and gently kissed Arthur’s lips for the very last time.

“I love you, Arthur. I always will.” You managed to say before you started sobbing again.

Charles walked over to Arthur’s body from the other side and picked it up to move it to the side, making a place to dig his grave. Through the tears, you could see the pain he felt when he was holding his friend’s body in his arms. He was devastated, but he knew the last thing he could do for Arthur was to be strong… for you. That’s what he would’ve wanted him to do.

You moved aside to give Charles a chance to honour Arthur while you continued crying your eyes out. You felt so powerless, so empty, so bad. The person you loved with all your heart was gone. And when you realized it was not just a bad dream, but reality a huge part of you died and stayed with Arthur on that lonely mountain.

***

The years have passed, but you never shook off his death. Life without it was more difficult than you could have imagined, but the worst was that it was empty. Every day looked almost the same, making your life and endless loop of the same things over and over again. You were waking up, forcing yourself to eat, sometimes drawing something and on some days Charles was checking up on you with John. One day, they told you about the house John has built for Abigail and invited you to come and see it. After all, John fulfilled Arthur’s last wish - he lived a life that Arthur could never have had. For a brief moment, you were happy because John really used the chance he was given.

“Just come and see it, Y/N.” John told you. “You’re always welcomed there, you know?”

“Sure, John.” You tried to smile. “I’d love to see it.”

But you never did. You told John you would come and visit him in a day or two, but you never came. Instead, without telling anyone about your idea, you rode to the place where your heart was left. The place where the love of your life was buried. You have never visited his grave after Charles buried him years ago. The pain you felt was too big to handle, but for a minute you thought you might find peace there. Next to him.

When you reached your destination the sun was already up in the sky. Arthur’s grave was surrounded by beautiful flowers and you smiled blankly, holding back tears. Maybe it wasn’t the brightest idea to came there all by yourself as suddenly the emotions started to taking control over you, making you tremble over his grave.

“I miss you.” You murmured through tears. “I brought your journal. John gave it to me. He thought… It would be better if I had it. I was trying to draw, but you were always a better painter than I.”

“I wish you were here. But it’s impossible, right? I can only hope you can hear me, talking to myself like a crazy… It is what love does to me, isn’t it? Making me crazier than I’ve ever been…”

“Anyway…” You wiped away tears from your cheeks and laid the journal you’ve been holding in your hands down next to the cross. “I came to tell you I love you, Arthur. And I can’t wait to see you again. Because living here… without you, sucks.” 

You didn’t expect anyone else to be there except you when suddenly, you heard the sound of the reloaded gun behind your back. You didn’t turn around. You didn’t even move a muscle.

“Well, well…” The man said and you recognized his voice within a second. “Who we’ve got here.”

„What are you doing here?” You hissed through your clenched teeth. “Agent Ross.”

“There’s still a price on your head, you know? Not only on yours but also at your friend’s heads. You’re all wanted. But somehow you’re the one who wanted to get caught… Such irresponsibility, travelling for so long, leaving so many traces behind you…” You could sense a gun being pointed in your direction. “You’ve become careless.”

“I’m not even armed.” 

“That only makes my job easier, miss Y/N.” He said, laughing under his breath. “How long exactly has mister Morgan been gone? Feels like I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Fuck off, Ross.” 

“Listen, Y/N. I don’t really care about you. I care about your good friends, John Marston and Charles Smith.” Ross said, ignoring your insult. “Here’s a deal - you tell me where they hide and I’ll let you mourn your lover boy how long you want, without me behind your back. Refuse and I’m gonna end you myself.”

You chuckled, eventually turning your face towards him. You stood up, raising your hands in the gesture of surrender. You died on that mountain the day you found Arthur’s dead body years ago. Since that day, death no longer frightened you as you weren’t really living. You were only existing.

“Do you really think I’ll betray my friends? Oh, how wrong you are.” You let yourself to look at the flowers around Arthur’s grave before you looked at Ross again. “Go on. I couldn’t care less since he’s gone.”

“You’ve never stopped loving this moron, have you?” He laughed ironically. “Shame. You might’ve gotten out of this alive, but instead, you’re gonna share his fate.”

Time has slowed down when Ross fired a bullet which came right through your chest. You fell on the ground and the world around you started to fade away. The blood came out from your mouth, slowly streaming down from its corner. Eventually, the world went black and suddenly, you felt nothing.

***

Y/N never appeared in Beecher’s Hope, making John and Charles worried. They wasted no time and checked all the places she used to visit. Except one. It was John’s idea to check on Arthur’s grave. But little did they knew what they were about to see there.

Y/N’s dead body was lying still on the ground. Her hand was placed on Arthur’s journal - one of the things he had left before he died. There was much blood on her shirt and face, but there was no gun near the body. 

“Someone must’ve been here before us and… ” Charles said not finishing the sentence and they both approached the corpse. They could only wonder what exactly has happened there. “I was just hoping I would never have to look at someone close to me dying on that mountain.”

“I hope… She found the peace she was desperately looking for through past years.” He added after a moment of silence.

“Supposing heaven exists…” John said, looking at Charles. “They both will find each other, right?”

“I think they already have.” Charles replied, smiling blankly at John.

The last rays of the sun shone through the clouds when they finished burying her body next to Arthur’s. From that moment there were two crosses on the lonely mountain. And two lovers have found each other, finally getting the peace they both deserved.


End file.
